Skein-washing machine.



No. 680,878. Patented Aug. 20, I913]. R. E. MURPHY. SKEIN WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 6, 1900) 4 Sheets-Sheqtt I.

(No Model.)

HNVENTOR izmmgvf No. 680,878. Patented Aug. 20, l90l.

: R. E. MURPHY.

SKEIN WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 6, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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SKEIN WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 6, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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No. 680,878. Patented Aug. 20, MM. R. E. MURPHY. SKEIN WASHING FEMININE. (Application filed July 6, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheen-Sheet 4.

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SKEIN-"WASHING MACHINE.

' SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 680,878, dated August 20, 1901.

Application filed July 6, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Skein- XVashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to skein-washing machines; and it consists in the devices and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

The objects of this invention are thoroughly to cleanse the skeins equally in all parts by repeatedly passing them through the Washing liquid and by subjecting them to the action of squeeze-rolls aftereach immersion in said liquor; to prevent the hairing out of the yarn or the projection of the fibers from the yarns by always introducing the same end of the skein first into the washing liquid and keeping the same end .of the skein always in advance in its passage through said liquid; to prevent the tangling of the yarns of the skein with each other, and to perform the operation in less time and with less help than is now commonly used.

Means are provided for changing the point of support of the skein on the sticks or poles upon which the skeins are suspended after each immersion of the skeins and for separating the squeeze-rolls to allow the passage of the sticks between said rolls, said squeeze-rolls immediately after the passage of the sticks between them closing upon the skins hung on said sticks.

In the accompanying drawings, on four sheets, Figure 1 is a right side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a left side elevation of a portion of the same at the end which carries .the squeeze-rolls; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the squeeze-rolls, the sprocket-wheel on the lower squeeze-roll, and the means of separat ing the squeeze-rolls; Fig. 4, a rear elevation of the machine or an elevation of the end which carries the squeeze-rolls; Fig. 5, a vertical transverse section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a front elevation of the cam which operates the skein-shifting device and the upper part of the lever immediately operated thereby.

The washing vat or tank A is of any usual Serial No. 22,737. (No model.)

shaft F is driven by the pinion d and intermediate gearf, fast on the shafts D and F,

respectively, the gear f engaging another gear e, fast 011 the shaft E. The shaft E has fast thereon at each end of the lower squeeze-roll e a sprocket-wheel e e to carry an endless sprocket-chain G G, each chain running on grooved carrier-rolls g g 9 these chains and rolls being duplicated at each side of the tank within the same, the chains running parallel with each other above the washing liquid toward the squeeze-rolls and below the surface of said liquid in the return direction. At suitable regular. intervals, each interval being longer than. a skein S, clips H are attached to said chains, the clips on one chain being exactly opposite the clips on the other chain. The sticks or poles I are of a suitable length to reach entirely across the chains to the outsides thereof, and the ends of said sticks and the shape of the clips are such as to prevent the sticks from turning in said clips, each clip and each end of each stick being represented as having flat engaging surfaces 72. t for that purpose. Suitable chain-races g 9 support the weight of the chains, poles, and skeins above the washing liquid. The back of each stick I extends back of the clip and is longitudinally grooved at t", for a purpose hereinafter explained.

When the machine is in operation, the sticks advance toward the lower squeeze-roll above the washing liquid, said sticks being at all times parallel with each other and with the axis of said feed-roll. The skeins of yarn are hung upon the sticks just as in the operation of skein-washing by hand. The upper squeeze-rollj has a shaft J, turning in journal-boxesjj capable of vertical movement in slots 0 in the stands 0 O, and each journal-box j j has a downhanging arm j carrying at its lower end an antifriction-rolly",

The upper squeeze-roll falls by its owngravity, which may be assisted by suitable springs represented in Figs. land 2 asspira-l springs 3 compressed between the sliding journal-boxes jj and nuts or tension-blocks fj which, Slide Withoutturningin the slotted stands G O'andare forced down upon said springs by screws j j which maybe turned readjust the compression of saidsprings.

, Each-stick I after passing-through .t-he squeeze-rolls is immediately submerged and carried .below the surface of the washing liquid to the front end of the tank, trailing the skeins and completely submerg-ing them, the dragging of the skeins through the liquid having the effect tokeep the ends of thefibers against the body of the yarn, and thus not only improving theappearance of the'yarn andof thecloth woven therefrom, but saving a large amountof the stock or fiber which is wasted --in the usual operation of washing skeins by hand; in which it is customary repeated-1y toshake the yarns in the washing liquid. The skeins on emerging from the liquid at the front of the tank A are again carried through the squeezefrolls, and theoperationis repeated until theskeins are properly cleaned.

The speed of the squeeze-rolls may be varied by making the intermediate gear f a charage-gear-that is, bysupporting it upon themovable'bracket f in such amanner that it ,may readily be changed for another gear of the same pitch, but having a greater or less number of teeth.

Inorder that the same part 50f anyskein may not always rest upon the stick, and thus escape the action of the squeeze-rolls, the poi-ntof-support of the skeins .upon the stick is ch-anged after-every,immersionpof said skeins by means described below.

A swinging frame, Consisting of parallel arms L L,;is-journaled on braQketTstuds Z Z, secured to oppositesides of the tank A, the upper ends of said arms being rigidly con nected by a horizontal bar 1 The frame is swung by a connecting rod or link Z pivoted atone end on-the arm L and-at the otherend to a wrist-pin Z on thegearfin such alliannor that when the frame moves toward the squeeze-rolls the bar Z moves at about the same speed as-the chainstravel for a distance andthen swings in the other direction at-the same rate of speed. A supplementary frame,

In this way the skeins are thoroughlyv same speedas said stick. vrod I has passed entirely through all the skeins on a'stick, the motion of said shifting consisting of a horizontal gu'ide-barM, a horizontal stud M, and a brace m, connecting said guide-bar and stud, is secured to and moves with the arm L. A horizontal shaft N, journaled in brackets 'n 01, secured on the standard Grand tank A, is driven by means ofbevel-gea-rs n 6 fast on said side shaft and on the shaft E of the lower squeeze-roll, respectivel y. The front end of the shaft N carries a cam 0, fast thereon, Fig. 6, and having a cam-groove 0, which receives a' horizontal stud p, which is secured on the upper end of a shifting lever P, pivoted at p on an arm a which projects from the bracket and is arranged below and parallel with the shaft N, said stud 13 preferably carrying an antifriction-rell 19 within the cam =:groove o. The shifting lever P below itspivot p is connected by a link or conneoting rod p to an intermediate lever Q, the latter being pivoted at (11011 the-studM below said link 13 the upperend of said lever Q being connected by another link g to a block or carriage R, which slideson the guide-bar M at rightlanglesrto the chains-G G when the cam O is r0- tated. The carriageR supports a horizontal shifting rod r, which bythemovement of said frame, including said guide-bar M, is so timed with reference to the positionof the sticks and the-position ofthe cam O that the inner or freeend'of the'shifting rod I in crossing the nearest chain G enters the groove 2 in the backof a stick I between said stickand theskei-ns supported thereon and continues in said groove until said freeend of said rod rprojects from the farther end of said groove 2", said rod while passing through the skeins also traveling toward thesqueeze-rolls ;at the When the'shifting rod'toward the rolls is reversed, and said rod and'stick separate, causing the :upper :parts of the skeins on the stick to be drawn away from the squeezerolls and bringing other parts of said skeinson said stick, the endwise movementof the shifting rod being suspended While thestud p is in the concentric part 0 of thecam-groove 0 and until the rod and :stick have separated sufficiently for the yarnshifting purpose above described, when said rodis withdrawnfrom said skeins. The iongitudinal movement of the carriage and shifting rod toward the chains is due to theaction of the part 0 of said cam-groove and the return movement to the party 0 of said camgroove .onthe lever P.

a The shifting rod 7' should be very stiff to support theweight of the yarns and is :sus-

tained and guided by a bracket Z secured to the back of the arm L through a hole l, in

which said rod slides, as shown in Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as the lever P has merely a mo tion on its stationary fulcrum, while the lever Q, swings with the supplementary frame, it is necessary that the opposite ends of the link 19 should be connected to said levers by some means which will allow each end of said link to have two motions on the corresponding lever. I therefore provide at each end of said link 13 a ball-and-socket connection 19 g of said link to the levers P Q.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a skein-washing machine, the combination of a suitable tank, squeeze-rolls, two parallel endless chains, running at opposite ends of said rolls, at right angles with the axis of said rolls, skein -supporting sticks, carried by said chains at equal intervals at right angles to said chains,and positive means of varying the distance apart of said rolls at regular intervals of time, to allow said sticks to pass between said rolls.

2. The combination, in a skein-washing machine, of a suitable tank, stands, supported thereon, a lower squeeze-roll, journaled in stationary bearings in said stands, an upper squeeze-roll, parallel with said lower squeezeroll, journal=boxes, movable toward and from said fixed bearings and supporting said upper squeeze roll, cams, rotary with said lower squeeze-roll, to move said journal-boxes away from said fixed bearings, two parallel endless chains, running at opposite ends of said rolls at right angles thereto, and skein-supporting sticks, carried by said chains, parallel with said rolls.

3. The combination, in a skein-washing machine, of a suitable tank, the squeeze-rolls, two parallel endless chains, running at opposite ends of said squeeze-rolls, a skein-sup porting stick, carried by said chains parallel with the axes of said squeeze-rolls, a movable guide,arranged parallel with said stick,means of causing a lateral reciprocating intermittent movement of said guide, equal in speed with the movement of said stick, a carriage, traveling on said guide, a shifting rod, supported by said carriage, means for reciproeating said carriage, to thrust said rod through the skein supported on said stick during the movement of said guide with said stick and means for increasing the interval between said rod and stick.

4. The combination, in a skein-washing ma chine, of a suitable tank, the squeeze-rolls, two parallel endless chains, running at opposite ends of said squeeze-rolls,a skein-su pport ing stick, carried by said chains parallel with the axes of said squeeze--rolls,a movable guide, arranged parallel with said stick, means of causing a lateral reciprocating intermittent movement of said guide, equal in speed with the movement of said stick, a carriage, traveling on said guide, a shifting rod supported by said carriage, means for reciprocating said carriage, to thrust said rod through the skeins supported on said stick during the movement of said guide with said stick, means for increasing the interval between said rod and stick, and means of subsequently withdraw ing said rod from said skeins.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses who have signed below,

ROBERT E. MURPHY;

Witnesses:

ALBERT M. ll/IOORE, KIRKLEY HYDE. 

